I birded several locations north of La Junta yesterday including the Ordway stockyards. I saw a dark ibis feeding alone in ditch near the stockyards that I believe to be a Glossy in Basic plumage- dark brown iris, very pale blue lines above and below eye, head & neck dark brown with white streaking. Alderfer and Dunn, in *National Geographic Birding Essentials, *states: "All adult (and even most juvenile) Glossy Ibis will show a thin powder-blue line above and below the facial skin but not around the eye." (p.163) I will get some photos posted by tomorrow on my blog at http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com
Also in the Ordway area were 1 juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron, 4 Snowy Egrets and a surprising female Common Merganser. There were few birds at Lake Henry, just a few white-headed gulls and a few waterfowl. I didn't have time to check Lake Meredith. Lake Cheraw had at least 50 Black Terns enjoying the strong gusty winds. I saw Western and Baird's Sandpipers, a possible White-rumped Sandpiper (need to check my photos), a few Am Avocets, lots of Wilson's Phalaropes and many waterfowl. White-caps from winds made it difficult to check some birds. Lake Holbrook had 2 Snowy Egrets, increasing numbers of American White Pelicans, a few gulls and little else. The water levels are starting to come down at area reservoirs so not sure why there weren't more shorebirds. In short grass prairie I saw an Eastern Kingbird apparently in migration with several Western Kingbirds. I saw 4 Common Nighthawks working the skies in late afternoon--it was very cloudy, a condition in which I have seen them in daylight in the past. I only saw 4-5 Swainson Hawks and none of the flocks of migrating Swainson's I have seen in past years. I also only saw two flocks of Lark Buntings. SeEtta Moss Canon City http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado Field Ornithologists: http://www.cfo-link.org/ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
